SANTA BABY
by FictionallySpeaking
Summary: For the Secret Santa Challenge - Deacon, Rayna and the girls buy and decorate their first Christmas tree.


**AN: I know that Christmas has come and gone but this is my response to the Secret Santa Challenge. Merry Christmas Hellowhitty87! This one is for you! The prompt was "Rayna, Deacon and the girls buy and decorate their first Christmas Tree"...I really hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. THANK YOU a hundred times over to KarenES for her beta reading, encouragement and your kindness in helping me get rid of my Australianisms..I really appreciate it...Enjoy..**

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**SANTA BABY**

Festive decorations towered high above the hustle and bustle of busy shoppers in the mall. Familiar strains of cheery carols echoed in and around stores. The chatter of voices and laughter filled the air as children ran rings around their parents, begging and pleading for Santa to bring them this or that. It was that time of year again. Christmas.

"Darlin'," Deacon bumped Rayna's shoulder with his own, hoping to get her attention as they rode the escalator. She looked at him and he promptly handed her the cup of ice cream they'd been sharing.

"Thanks, babe," she grinned, taking a spoonful. Instinctively, he reached for her waist and she leant into him. Three steps in front of them, Maddie and Daphne stood eating ice-cream cones, both swaying to the music playing through the mall.

"They're so excited," Rayna whispered in Deacon's ear, wrapping her arms around him. "Look at them, babe."

Daphne bounced on the step, pointing out decorated window displays.

"They sure are, aren't they?"

Rayna nodded. To say that the girls were excited about buying a Christmas tree didn't even cover it. This was going to be the first Christmas that she and Deacon would be spending in a house of their own. That meant new decorations, a new Christmas tree, new traditions, new everything. The girls were spending Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with Teddy and Peggy this year. They had agreed that the girls would then spend Christmas evening with her and Deacon and stay all the way through to New Year's Eve. She wasn't too thrilled about only seeing the girls during the evening on Christmas, but having them stay for New Years Eve seemed to be a reasonable compromise. New memories would be made and they would get to do that together. That was all that really mattered.

"Almost as excited as their Momma," Deacon teased, kissing her on the cheek.

Rayna pushed him away playfully, grabbing a fistful of his jacket as she shook her head. "Tell that to the guy who was up and ready to go at 6 this mornin'."

Deacon's jaw dropped. "I didn't hear you complainin' when I woke you up with that nice cup of coffee..." he smirked, a wicked look in his eyes. "And if I recall it correctly, you got awful excited when I hopped back into bed and made you-" Deacon leant towards her ear and she bit her tongue.

"_I've been an angel all year, Santa baby_," Daphne sang along gleefully to the carol playing through the speakers. She spun around to face Deacon and Rayna.

Maddie rolled her eyes, hiding her obvious embarrassment. Rayna flushed red and blew heavily, discreetly taking a step away from Deacon as she tried to stop thinking about his body close to hers. He kept his hold on her waist and smirked when she squirmed.

Daphne used her ice cream cone as a microphone. "_And hurry down the chimney tonight_."

"You don't actually think she knows what that song really means, right?" Deacon murmured, nodding encouragingly at the little girl.

"Babe, she's nine,"

Rayna scoffed.

"_Santa honey_-" Daphne sang, stumbling backwards off the escalator. Deacon and Rayna laughed at the sudden change of expression that spread across Daphne's face. "Whoa!"

"Look where you're walking, weirdo," Maddie grabbed Daphne's arm, helping her right her balance as they kept walking.

Daphne rolled her eyes. "Says you-"

"Come on, y'all…not today," Rayna pursed her lips, her eyes warning the girls that she wouldn't be tolerating any arguing.

Maddie and Daphne glared at each other before bursting into laughter. Rayna joined them, pulling both girls into a tight embrace.

Deacon shook his head. "Come on, you three…we have work to do!"

**- NASHVILLE -**

"I kinda like this one," Rayna said proudly, standing beside a bright pink Christmas tree in the Christmas section of the department store.

Deacon, Maddie and Daphne frowned, cocking their heads in unison.

"What?"

Deacon looked at the girls and they stared at him blankly, expecting him to reply on their behalf. He looked at Rayna and pursed his lips. "Darlin', that sure is real pretty-"

"No, it isn't." Daphne scrunched up her nose.

Maddie shook her head. "It's really not."

"It's not even real," Daphne added.

"I thought y'all liked the color pink?" Rayna put a hand to her hip. Deacon looked at the girls blankly and took a step backwards.

"And I thought you said we were just coming in here to buy decorations," Maddie countered, mirroring her mother's stance.

"We are buyin' decorations…and maybe we're buyin' a tree."

"Not that one, we're not," Maddie said under her breath.

"I want a real Christmas tree," Daphne said crossed her arms.

Maddie nodded.

"A real one?" Deacons and Rayna spoke in unison.

"Like a green one that has the spikes like Santa's, and it's tall…and green." Daphne stumbled over her words and shook her head. "That one's just...no, mom...no."

"Ok, fine." Rayna threw her hands up in the air. "Y'all can decide how we do this then!"

Deacon chuckled at her obvious frustration. He stepped towards her and pulled her into his arms. "How about..." Deacon looked up and rested his chin on the top of her head as he carefully chose his words. "Daphne and I take a drive down to a Christmas tree lot and see if we can get ourselves a real tree-"

Daphne threw her fists in the air, spinning in circles.

"And you and Maddie stay here and pick us out what decorations y'all like?" Deacon finished.

Rayna looked to Maddie to make sure she approved. The last thing she wanted was to have a cranky teenager on her hands.

Maddie sighed. "I guess someone's gotta make sure mom doesn't buy tacky decorations."

Rayna scoffed, pretending to take offense. "Me?! Tacky?!"

Everyone laughed.

"Come on, little lady!" Deacon exclaimed, taking Daphne's hand.

**- NASHVILLE -**

"And that's the tree." Daphne readjusted her grip on the video camera, spinning it around so that it was pointed at her face. "So right now I'm not actually allowed near it because Maddie's being bossy and-"

"Am not!" Maddie yelled.

"Yeah, anyway, she won't let me near it. Mom, mom…say hello!" Daphne changed tracks in conversation, bouncing around the living room with the video camera. Rayna scrunched up her face and hid behind a box of decorations. She'd reluctantly handed the camera over ten minutes ago and immediately regretted it. All the nine-year-old seemed to do was stick that thing in her face. "Mommy, mommy, mommy!"

"Watch it!" Maddie groaned, pulling a bag of tinsel out of Daphne's path of destruction. She turned to the Christmas tree and continued carefully placing ornaments.

"Go get someone else on that thing," Rayna forced a smile, waving her off. She pointed at Deacon and the little girl grinned.

"Deacon!" Daphne ran towards him. "We got a good tree, right?"

"You chose a good one!" he grinned.

"Say hi!"

"Hello!" Deacon waved outrageously as she pointed the camera in his direction. He pulled faces and kindly answered one question after another until she got bored and went to harass Maddie next.

Over the noise, Deacon scanned the living room and he stopped when he caught sight of Rayna. She was tying her hair into a messy bun as she studied the Christmas tree. Rayna cocked her head and exhaled heavily, absentmindedly rocking on her feet. Deacon smiled. He thought she looked cute when she did that. His eyes slowly travelled her body and he felt his heart beat a little quicker. Even in tights and an oversized red sweater, she managed to completely undo him. His head filled with thoughts of her in his arms, how she touched him, how she smiled and the way her lips felt against his. Deacon swallowed hard and cleared his throat.

He picked up a pack of baubles. "Are these the last of 'em?"

Rayna looked over at him fleetingly, quickly moving an ornament from one place to another on the tree. "No, there should in the other room."

"I think these are the last ones," he lied.

"There's more," Maddie said and gave him a look as she handed Rayna a bauble. "They're on the kitchen counter."

"Mmmm, I don't think so."

"Babe," Rayna looked at him. "There are-"

"I don't think so," he smiled, finally happy to have her attention, even if she was glaring at him. "Maybe you could come help me have a look for them?"

Rayna frowned.

"You know, help me in the kitchen."

"I can help!" Daphne exclaimed, putting the video camera down.

"Oh no, darlin', you're doin' such a great job right now that I don't wanna pull you away." Deacon forced a laugh. His plan was backfiring. He set his eyes on Rayna's. "Besides, your mom seems to think she knows where these baubles are supposed to be anyway."

Rayna handed the box of ornaments she'd been holding to Daphne and grudgingly followed Deacon. When they rounded the corner and headed into the kitchen Rayna pushed past him to get to the counter first.

"Babe, honestly!" Rayna exclaimed, waving the pack of baubles in the air. "I told-" Deacon slowly wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her back into him. She lost her train of thought and a smile crept onto her lips. "Somehow I don't think this has anythin' to do with-"

"Shhh," he interjected, letting his hands begin to wander up and down her body. Unconsciously, she leant into him, needing to be closer as his body responded to hers. Slowly, his fingers crept under the hem of her sweater and she felt a jolt of electricity course through her veins.

"Okay, hold up, Santa-" Rayna joked, her voice husky and low as she stopped his hands from climbing any higher.

"Santa?!" Deacon exclaimed, turning her in his arms to see her face. "Ray, are you cheatin' on me with an old guy in a red suit?"

"You're so funny." She narrowed her eyes, smiling coyly.

Deacon spun her back around, swiftly pulling her body against his. He felt her breath hitch and he chuckled against her neck, sending shivers down her spine. "Somethin' wrong darlin'?"

"You know good and well what's wrong." Rayna rolled her eyes and squirmed as he trailed kisses along her neck. "Babe, you're teasin' me and you really need to stop-"

"Stop what?"

"Startin' somethin', doin' that," Rayna stammered, trying to concentrate on her thoughts as he freed his hands from hers. Clumsily, Rayna waved her hands around. "In here?! Babe, come on! You won't be gettin' any if you don't start behavin'…Maddie and D-" she inhaled sharply as his fingers began to climb higher under her sweater. "We…you need to be good-"

"Trust me, the last thing I wanna do right now is be good, Ray."

Rayna giggled, swaying them back and forth. "And what do you wanna do?"

"I want to take...you.." he spoke slowly, his fingers making their way down her body. "Upstairs..."

Rayna's eyes darted in the direction of the door, ears straining for any signs of movement from the girls in the other room. Her whole body was on fire, screaming with an unshakable desire to be closer to him. His fingers moved steadily downward. She could feel her heart drumming faster and her breath coming quicker.

"Where I'd get you all to myself," he murmured, bringing her attention back to him. "…on our bed-"

"Only on our bed?" she smirked, hoping to catch him off guard so she could turn in his arms to face him. Deacon groaned. When she caught the look on his face she couldn't stop herself from laughing at him.

Deacon bent his head to capture her lips with his, bringing an end to her giggling. He was relieved when she didn't pull away. He kissed her softly and they both whispered nonsense words between kisses, smiling and laughing at nothing in particular. Deacon pulled back to look at her, overwhelmed with affection as the air between them changed. He knew every part of her; inside and out, everything that made her the only woman he loved. Rayna could see what he was feeling because his eyes gave him away. She smiled and let him see that she was feeling the same way too.

Slowly, he kissed her again and Rayna opened her mouth, leaning into him as their hands wandered and they spun around. Deacon kissed Rayna hard and pressed his hips against hers as he backed her up against the counter. Rayna smiled into the kiss, silently grateful for the support as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"_Santa baby, so hurry_-" Daphne sang, running into the kitchen. Deacon and Rayna jumped apart, looking at anything but each other as Daphne's singing filled the room.

Daphne came to an abrupt halt and frowned. "Hey, I thought you were supposed to be looking for more decorations?"

"We are." Rayna cleared her throat, pulling at her sweater before grabbing the pack of baubles off the counter.

"Yep,"

Deacon agreed, struggling to figure out where to put his hands. He shoved them in his back pockets.

Daphne looked at them suspiciously and crossed her arms. "Mmm Mmm, you guys were kiss-"

"Maddie?" Rayna interjected, looking at Daphne and Deacon. "I think I hear Maddie callin' us."

**- NASHVILLE –**

"You're just jealous because I know that I'm getting lots of presents and you're not."

"What?"

"You got grounded…more than once, you swore at mom, and you told dad you hated Peggy."

Rayna swallowed the laugh that threatened to escape her lips and looked away.

Daphne smirked. "I've been good all year, Maddie. It's pretty obvious that Santa has to bring me a lot, duh."

"Mmhmm, so I guess Santa forgot about the bowl you broke, you sneaking your iPod into bed when mom says not to, and the pranks _you_ pulled on Peggy?" Maddie raised an eyebrow. "You know that dad knows you did it, right?"

Daphne's mouth dropped.

Maddie made final adjustments to the ornaments she'd been hanging. "Okay, done."

"I think you're right," Rayna agreed, taking two steps back to get a better look at the tree.

"It's not quite finished." Deacon pointed to the top of the tree.

"Santa's bringing me presents, right?" Daphne asked nervously, her eyes darting between Deacon, Rayna and Maddie. "I had a whole list and everything! Come on, it was an accident, I hate the dark, and it was a joke…I swear."

"Tell that to Santa."

"Shut up!"

"What's on this list of yours anyways?" Maddie teased.

"Doesn't matter now, does it?" Daphne grumbled, suddenly overwhelmed with the prospect of not getting a visit from Santa. "I broke a stupid bowl and…" she mumbled the rest of the sentence.

"Wh-"

"Enough," Rayna shot Maddie a look before turning to Daphne.

"Sweetheart, why don't you find the star for the top of the tree?"

"There's only one thing I want on my Christmas list…" Deacon whispered loud enough for only Rayna to hear as he tugged her towards him.

Rayna turned and looked Deacon up and down. She smirked. "What about what I want?"

"Darlin', I will personally make sure that whatever you want, whatever you _need_," he murmured, pulling her body back against his. "You get…"

"I'll hold you to that." Rayna chuckled.

Maddie walked over to the wall and flipped a switch. The Christmas tree lit up, fairy lights illuminating the decorations and casting warmth over the living room.

"Y'all did a great job," Rayna grinned, leaning back and intertwining her arms with Deacon's as they admired the tree.

"Thanks." Maddie smiled warmly as she watched her parents stand in a loving embrace.

"If I can-" Daphne jumped up on a chair that she'd dragged next to the tree. "Just get-" she jumped in the air, star in hand.

Horror filled Rayna's face. "What on-?!"

"Woah, woah, woah!" Deacon exclaimed, quickly leaving Rayna's side to catch Daphne as she went flying. "Maybe not a good idea."

"I almost had it!" Daphne said exasperatedly.

"Just like your momma," he smirked, adjusting his hold on the little girl as he lifted her high in the air. "Stubborn as hell."

Daphne giggled. "That's a-"

"Dollar," he said and shook his head. "Yeah, yeah, yeah…I know."

Rayna laughed.

"Hang on! Wait!" Maddie exclaimed, bounding across the room to grab the video camera. Quickly, she picked it up, turned it on and hit the record button. "Ok, now go."

Daphne put the star on top of the tree and everyone cheered. She wriggled and squirmed in Deacon's arms when he brought her back down to the ground, locking her in his arms to tickle her. Maddie sidestepped them, smile wide as she pointed the camera in their direction.

Daphne squealed, her hair whipping in every which direction. "Mom!"

"You're on your own, hon." Rayna shook her head, certain that if she got involved she would be Deacon's next target. Still holding Daphne, Deacon shot Rayna a wicked grin and she shook her head furiously. "No, babe, no-!"

Deacon launched both his and Daphne's bodies in Rayna's direction, pulling her into their tangled huddle. Between fits of laughter they struggled to free themselves. Rayna took a step backwards, hoping to shake Deacon's hold but she tripped and they all collapsed into a heap on the floor.

"Owww!" Daphne giggled, pulling her leg out from under Deacon's.

"Owww?!" Deacon mimicked. "I don't know what y'all are complainin' about. I was the one that broke your fall!"

Maddie laughed, still holding the camera to her face. "You guys are weirdos."

"You're the weirdo." Daphne scrunched up her face.

"Help me up," Rayna begged, holding her hand out to Maddie as she shot Deacon a sly look. Maddie grabbed her hand and Rayna and Deacon quickly pulled the teenager down onto the floor with them. Maddie let out a cry of frustration and everyone laughed. Rayna drew Maddie into her arms. "Serves you right for callin' us weirdos."

Ten minutes later, everyone was comfortably settled on the living room floor next to the glow of the brightly lit Christmas tree. Rayna lay curled up in Deacon's arms and Maddie was helping Daphne tie tinsel around her head.

"I love you," Rayna whispered, lightly dragging her fingers across his chest.

Deacon smiled and pulled her tighter into his arms. "I love you, too."

Rayna looked up at him affectionately and he leaned down and kissed her soft and slow.

"Okay, gross." Maddie scrunched up her face, making the final tie in Daphne's tinsel crown as her eyes caught sight of Deacon and Rayna. "Please stop..._now_."

Deacon and Rayna reluctantly pulled apart.

"I think it's nice," Daphne said giddily.

"Eww, Daphne, no."

"It just means that they love each other," the little girl explained, twirling a loose piece of tinsel around her fingers. "That's what people do when they love each other, right mom?"

Deacon and Rayna laughed and he kissed her cheek. Rayna leant into him and touched his face as she nodded. "Yeah, sweetheart, that's somethin' people definitely like doin'."

"See?"

Daphne smirked at Maddie and shrugged. "It also means that Santa might give me my present after all so-"

"What on earth did you ask him for?" Maddie asked slowly, her eyes wide.

Rayna straightened in Deacon's arms, curious as to what would come out of Daphne's mouth.

Daphne cocked her head and pursed her lips. "It's not too much to ask Santa for a baby brother, right?"


End file.
